The Sam Darnold Offseason Saga Finally Ends
With Sam Darnold landing in Seattle, the Minnesota Vikings have finally made their statement on the veteran quarterback. He was brought in on a one-year deal worth $10 million, and Kevin O’Connell helped him earn a much more lucrative payday.
The Sam Darnold Offseason Saga Finally Ends
It’s unfortunate that the Vikings couldn’t find a trade partner to tag and flip Darnold with, but this is the right outcome. Minnesota proved that the landing spot was the reason for Darnold’s success, and now it’s on him to prove that it’s repeatable elsewhere.
The Seattle Seahawks moved on from Geno Smith. That opened an opportunity for Darnold, and he jumped at it. How he’ll fare without talent like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison remains to be seen. The Seahawks also recently traded top wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s not as though Seattle is a complete dumpster fire in the vein of New York or Carolina, but Darnold will now face a sizable uphill battle. The weapons around him are relatively limited. Rather than being propped up by those pieces as he was in Minnesota, he now must elevate the parts.
Last year, the Vikings used a first-round draft pick on J.J. McCarthy. It would have been crazy to extend Darnold on a long-term deal for big money just after finally having the opportunity to reset that cap situation as the most crucial position.
At this point, it looks as though head coach Kevin O’Connell will bet on himself and his young quarterback as the Vikings move into the next phase of contention. They may take a slight step back in the win department, but it would be foolish to bet against McCarthy if someone as good as O’Connell is determined to make him work.
The Vikings can be thankful for what Darnold did last season. They can also be happy he got the payday and moved on to another organization. Maybe the idea that they were ever interested in bringing him back was just a smokescreen, but at least we don’t have to keep hearing about it.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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